YENG Guiao is scheduled to face his former team in his first game back as Rain or Shine coach in one of the matches during the opening week of the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Elasto Painters will face NLEX on Sept. 23, Friday, at 5:45 p.m. in the league’s return to the Philsports Arena, with Guiao taking on the Road Warriors for the first time since they parted ways.
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Guiao transferred to Rain or Shine, the team that he led to two championships during his first tenure from 2011 to 2016.
Two days before the Rain or Shine-NLEX tussle, the Commissioner’s Cup is scheduled to open Sept. 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena with the Bay Area Dragons making their debut as guest team against Blackwater at 3 p.m., the first game of a doubleheader that will also feature NorthPort facing Phoenix Super LPG.
Aldin Ayo makes his PBA coaching debut on Sept. 23 against a team where he once became an assistant coach as Converge goes up against Terrafirma at 3 p.m.
Ayo's team returns to action two days later on Sept. 25 with a tough foe as they face Tim Cone and Barangay Ginebra in the Kings’ conference debut at the Mall of Asia Arena at 6:45 p.m. after Meralco also starts its Commissioner’s Cup against NLEX at 4:30 p.m.
Bay Area faces NorthPort at 4:30 p.m., and Phoenix Super LPG goes up against Blackwater at 6:45 p.m. in the matches on Sept. 24 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The league released the Commissioner’s Cup schedule on Wednesday with the Philsports Arena holding 17 out of the 39 playdates of the conference. The PBA makes its comeback at its former home following an agreement between the league and the Philippine Sports Commission.
The venue formerly called ULTRA will be used by the league for the first time since it was refurbished prior to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
The PBA will continue to play at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena. The match between rivals Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Chicken Timplados is set Oct. 23 at MOA Arena.
Newly-crowned Philippine Cup champion San Miguel and runner-up TNT open their bidf on Oct. 5 at the Big Dome with the Beermen facing Blackwater and the Tropang Giga taking on Magnolia.